POLICE have launched a hard-hitting recruitment campaign on television which features boxer Lennox Lewis to give it some extra punch.

Thames Valley Police has welcomed the Home Office funded campaign aimed at getting more recruits from ethnic minority and female audiences.

Guy Bailey, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said: "The campaign will help attract attention to the police and means we can concentrate on recruiting for Thames Valley.

"The television campaign helps to take the pressure off us because people see that first and then will link it to us when they see us at recruitment fairs."

The force has been targeting people in the area, through recruitment fairs at Milton Keynes and High Wycombe as well as focusing on other areas such as Wales where steel workers have been made redundant.

Chris Bisson, star of East is East and Coronation Street will also be helping to launch the three-year Could You? Police recruitment campaign.

So far the campaign has received application forms showing 4.3 per cent coming from ethnic minority candidates and 27 per cent from women.

Figures for 2000 to 2001 showed Thames Valley Police had 229 recruits who have started training but they are aiming to have 325 officers by 2002, which still leaves a big shortfall.

At the same time around 257 officers left the force between March 2000 to March 2001 and they are struggling to break even.

Anyone who would like to join Thames Valley Police can log on to www.thamesvalley.police.uk